In modern terminology, the Arkansas toothpick is a heavy

dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use def ...

with a pointed, straight blade. The knife can be used for thrusting and slashing. James Black, known for improving the Bowie knife, is credited with inventing the Arkansas toothpick.

As against the Bowie Knife

There was no consistent distinction made between Bowie knives and Arkansas toothpicks in the mid-19th century. There were enough occasional distinctions to shade any dogmatic statement of equivalence. Americans were observed to use pocket knives to clean their teeth in the era, so the "Arkansas toothpick" term may predate the Bowie knife. There is debatable basis for claiming Arkansas toothpicks were designed for throwing. Chapter 8 is dedicated to the distinction between toothpicks and Bowies.

Legal status

Although many jurisdictions worldwide have knife legislation regulating the length of a blade or the dagger-like profile of the Arkansas toothpick that can be owned or carried, certain locales in the United States have legislation mentioning the "Arkansas toothpick" in particular. These laws were passed in the late 1830s in Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia as an attempt to prevent

dueling A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and la ...

References

{{USCWWeapons Daggers Fur trade Knives Weapons of the Confederate States of America